JINJA — The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has directed Jinja City Council to relocate Ambercourt Farmers' Market within three months to pave the way for the expansion and modernization of Jinja Aerodrome.
In a letter dated June 30, 2026, addressed to the Jinja City Town Clerk, UCAA said the land occupied by the market is required for critical infrastructure works, including the expansion of the runway, taxiway and apron.
According to the authority, the redevelopment is intended to increase the aerodrome's operational capacity, enabling it to handle more air traffic and accommodate larger aircraft.
UCAA said the continued operation of the market near the airstrip presents significant aviation safety risks because waste generated at the facility attracts birds and stray animals that could interfere with aircraft operations.
The authority further noted that the market's location contravenes the Civil Aviation (Aerodromes) Regulations, 2022, warning that continued non-compliance could affect the aerodrome's licensing status and operational integrity.
In the letter signed by the Director of Airports and Aviation Security, UCAA instructed the city council to relocate the market within three months to allow construction works to begin.
The planned works include extending the runway and installing a perimeter security fence in line with national and international aviation safety standards.
The directive forms part of the government's broader plan to secure additional land around Jinja Aerodrome for aviation infrastructure development and improved safety oversight.
Redevelopment works at the airstrip began last year and have included perimeter fencing, improvements to access infrastructure and preparations for runway expansion.
However, the project has been slowed by inadequate land, preventing UCAA from extending the runway from its current 1.5 kilometres to the planned three kilometres.
The relocation is expected to affect thousands of traders who depend on Ambercourt Market, one of eastern Uganda's largest agricultural produce markets.
Established around July 2002 through a partnership between the former Jinja Municipal Council and the military, the market was initially created to support the livelihoods of spouses of soldiers attached to Gaddafi Garrison along Kimaka Road.
It has since grown into a major produce distribution centre serving traders from across the Busoga sub-region and other parts of the country.
Every morning, often from as early as 3:00 a.m., the market receives traders dealing in fruits, vegetables, matooke, cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, cabbages and watermelons. Buyers also travel from areas including Busia and Kampala's Nakasero Market to source produce.
Despite its economic importance, the market has for years been the subject of ownership disputes involving the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF).
Previous efforts to relocate it, including directives from the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, have not been implemented.
The Jinja City master plan has proposed moving the market to Budondo, about 15 kilometres away, but the proposal has faced resistance from vendors who fear losing customers and convenient transport links.
Jinja City Council must now identify an alternative location that accommodates the traders while meeting UCAA's aviation safety requirements before the three-month deadline expires.
